February 2019 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Calendar

Various Days —Guided Wetland Tours, By Reservation, at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). A wildlife naturalist will lead any group, school or organization on a half-mile route through the diverse wetlands of the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. General information includes wildlife identification, behavior patterns and conservation efforts. The experience can be customized to include requested information. The minimum group size is 18 people. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

Various Days — Ecological Reserve Tours at Elkhorn Slough, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Volunteers lead walks every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Binoculars and bird books are available for the public to borrow at no cost. The visitor center and main overlook are fully accessible. The day use permit fee is $4.12 per person, ages 16 and older (permits may be purchased onsite). Groups of five or more should please notify staff that they are coming and groups of 10 or more can request a separate tour. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/lands/places-to-visit/elkhorn-slough-er.

First Through Third Saturdays and Sundays of the Month— Sandhill Crane Wetland Tours at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, 7730 W. Woodbridge Road, Lodi (95242). Online registration is underway for those wishing to participate in guided tours, which run through February. A one-day Lands Pass must be purchased to attend and instructions are available on the same website. Tours fill fast and registration may be done as much as six weeks in advance. To register or for more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/3/crane-tour.

Weekends — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948), 12:30 p.m. The 90-minute walking tour covers slightly more than a half mile through this premier birding spot that highlights migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. Tours are canceled in heavy rain. No reservations are necessary for groups of less than 20 people. This land is part of the CDFW Lands Pass Program and its associated fee-for-use requirement. There is no additional cost for the tour. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

1 — Deadline to Report on Bear Tag. All bear tag holders are required to report on their tag regardless of whether or not they hunted for bear. The deadline for reporting on a bear hunt tag is Feb. 1. After the Feb. 1 deadline, the online reporting system will lock hunters out from reporting. Hunters who miss the online reporting window can and should still mail in their tags to the address on the tag. All bear tags postmarked after Feb. 1 will be considered late. Tags can be reported online at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/Internetsales/customersearch/begin.

1 — Proposition 68 Grant Program for Regional Conservation Investment Strategies Preparation. The 2019 Proposal Solicitation Notice for grant proposals to develop Regional Conservation Investment Strategies was released in January and the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) is currently accepting proposals. Proposals that seek approval at the May 2019 WCB meeting are due by March 1. Proposals submitted after March 1 will be considered at future WCB meetings. For more information, please visit www.wcb.ca.gov or contact Scott McFarlin at (916) 323-2281.

1 — 2019 Commercial Fishing Licenses and Permits Available for Purchase. The 2019 commercial fishing licenses and permits are valid from April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/commercial.

2-3 — Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days. Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days are intended to provide a safe learning environment for youth who are interested in hunting and to encourage youths and adults to experience the outdoors together. Each year, many wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges open for youth hunt days. Federal regulations require that hunters must be 17 years of age or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older to participate. All hunters must have a valid license and stamps as required by state and federal law. The daily bag and possession limits apply along with all other waterfowl regulations for the 2018-19 waterfowl season. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

2-3 — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948), 12:30 p.m. The 90-minute walking tour covers slightly more than a half-mile through this premier birding spot that highlights migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. Tours are cancelled in the event of heavy rain. No reservations are necessary for groups of fewer than 20 people. This land is part of the CDFW Lands Pass Program and its associated fee-for-use requirement. For more information on the Lands Pass Program, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lands-pass. For more information on the tours, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

8 — California Duck Days Welcome Reception, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Davis Arts Center, 1919 F St., Davis (95616). California Duck Days kicks off with a public reception featuring an exhibit of wildlife art created by high school students from Yolo County and a display of art from the California Junior Duck Stamp contest. The event is free. California Duck Days tickets and T-shirts will be on sale. For more information on California Duck Days, please visit http://yolobasin.org/californiaduckdays.

23 — California Duck Days. CDFW, the Yolo Basin Foundation, the California Waterfowl Association, Yolo Audubon and the City of Davis are hosting California Duck Days at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Headquarters, 45211 County Road 32B (Chiles Road), Davis (95618). California Duck Days is a family-oriented, community-based outdoor festival with activities that include field trips led by experienced birders and naturalists. Onsite activities are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., which include interactive exhibits, wetland-themed arts and crafts, and trout fishing. For more information, please visit http://yolobasin.org/californiaduckdays/.

27 — CDFW’s Annual Salmon Information Meeting, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sonoma County Water Agency, 404 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa (95403). The public is invited to attend CDFW’s annual meeting on the status of California Chinook salmon populations and the outlook for 2019 ocean salmon fisheries. A review of last year’s ocean salmon fisheries and spawning escapement will be presented along with the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries. The meeting marks the beginning of a two-month long public process used to establish annual sport and commercial ocean salmon seasons. A list of additional meetings and other opportunities for public comment is available on CDFW’s ocean salmon webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon/preseason. For more information, please contact Chenchen Shen at (707) 576-2885 or chenchen.shen@wildlife.ca.gov.